The Dancers
by i-miss-old-disney
Summary: Jerry and Mika two/three-shot Mika's struggling to maintain her dream as a dancer. But how far will she go? And what is Jerry's reaction when he finds out? Rated K to T
1. Chapter 1

**Wassup y'all? I had to watch a video about anorexia and bulimia in Health … it really made me sad :( It's from a thing called "Dying to Be Thin" . . . **

**But… it inspired me for this fanfic. I know that there is a Jace one-shot dealing with anorexia, but I promise that this story is totally unique! **

* * *

Mika POV

I was helping Uncle Phil at the counter when Jerry walked in. Oh, he is such a goof.

Totally, -what did Kim say?- girl crazy. But she assured me that despite all that, Jerry is very sweet. And of course he is.

He danced up to the register. I laughed.

"What it do, Mika?" He said, smiling.

"Nothing, Jerry. What it do with you?" I replied.

"Now, correct me if I'm mistaken," he said, smirking and making me laugh again.

"But it is your dream to become a ballerina, is it not?" He showed me a flyer.

The Seaford Ballet was in need of new dancers. This was my chance.

"Oh Jerry, I'm so excited! Thank you so much!" I hugged him over the counter. He responded by wrapping his arms around me.

"Though you would like it." Just then Uncle Phil came through the kitchen door.

"Hey! Out of the way of counter. Mika! What did I tell you about boys in the restaurant?" Jerry and I both started blushing.

"The auditions are next Saturday. Will you be ready?" Jerry asked.

"Yes, I can't wait."

"I'll bring you over, if you want. You know, cheer you on" Jerry said, a little hesitantly.

"I would love that, Jerry" he smiled and turned to walk back to the dojo. I returned to my duties in the kitchen. This will be so exciting.

THAT SATURDAY

Jerry and I entered the dance studio. There were some dancers already here. I began to stretch and warm up. An old woman came up to me.

She had a strange accent.

"Vat is your name?" she snarled, sounding like a dog.

"Mika Kofke" I said, firmly.

"And you are a dancer?" Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me.

"Yes, I have been dancing since I was a little girl." I looked up at her bravely, like Kim would.

"Prove it, den" the witch snapped. I hesitated, but then I heard the Akimba, a folk dance from Hakmakistan. I looked over.

Jerry was smiling and pointing at his... -ePod? I can't remember what it is called. He wanted me to perform my dance.

_Oh Jerry… _

I began dancing to the music. "Be a swan when you dance Mika," my mother always

told me. That is my dream, to fly across the stage like a beautiful bird. The

dance finished and I looked at the instructor. Her frown had lessened.

"You know ze six positions of ballet, Mika?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am" I showed her.

She turned to Jerry.

"You there!" Jerry was standing off by the side, listening to his music and shuffling a bit.

"Me?" He looked at her, confused.

"You haf de build of a dancer, and ve do not haf many male dancers." she said.

"Thank you, but I'm not really a ballet type of dan-" Jerry started.

"Rubbish. I vant ze two of you to be part of zis company. You two haf great talent and potential." she looked at both of us.

"Vat is your name, boy?"

"Jerry Martinez"

"Do you do ozzer dancing besides dis "ip-op?"

"Yes, the flamenco, salsa, cha-cha…"

"Perfect! Here are your schedules. Ve train very hard here. Do not be late."

I looked at the paper. My practices started next week. On one or two days, I would have the same as Jerry.

"Jerry, you don't have to do this. You have school and your karate."

"It's fine. This won't interfere with that. Besides.," he put his arm around my shoulders. "I get to dance with an awesome girl."

* * *

**OKAY THERE'S THE FIRST CHAPTER **

**So… the anorexia/bulimia thing will begin next chapter. Jerry and Mika are in the best friends yet not a couple stage AKA KICK. The instructor, if you had trouble with the phonetics, has a thick Russian accent. Mika's last name and the Akimba were created by moi. **

**R&R! **


	2. Chapter 2

Mika POV

I went to my first practice. I changed into my leotard and tights and began warming up.

I noticed the other girls. They seemed light and graceful, all with their hair in a neat bun. One of them came up to me.

"So, you are the new girl" she said scornfully.

"Yes, I am" I replied. She looked me over.

"Don't expect to get any good roles soon, fatty" she jeered as the other girls started laughing.

"Fatty?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, I don't know what that little Arabian dance was - "

"The Akimba," I said fiercely.

"Whatever, Madame Kozniak will not keep you long. I've never seen a fatter 'ballerina.'"

That awful girl said again, making little air quotes around ballerina. The girls kept laughing.

_But... I am not fat. . . _

I looked at myself in the wall of mirrors. Yes, I was a little taller and more curvy than the others, but I had no thick stomach or sagging breasts. I was proportionate, neither fat nor thin.

"You may be a stick figure, but that is no reason to call me fat," I said, glaring at her.

"Please, just wait until someone tries to lift you off the ground. You won't rise an inch," the girl fired back.

_I've had enough of this goat poop... _

"Look, you are calling me fat because you are scared of being fat yourself. I am here to dance, not to argue like a little coward." I snarled in her face.

The girl looked taken aback, but quickly recovered.

"Just you wait, Arab girl. You will never be a star."

I stomped away and took my place at the barre. By now Madame Kozniak had entered the studio.

"Attention girls! I haf decided that our next performance will be _Swan Lake_." All of the girls cheered.

Swan Lake was my favorite ballet.

_The music, the dancing...so beautiful. _

"Ve vill begin by learning the dance of the swans. In a few veeks, I vill choose two girls for ze parts of Odette and Odile."

I looked at the girl who had called me fat. She had a smug look on her face as she raised her hand.

Madame Kozniak looked at her.

"Yes, Eloise?"

_Eloise... so that was her name... _

"Madame, have you any ideas for whom should play Odette and Odile? Perhaps one of the more experienced dancers?" she sneered, glaring at me for the last part.

"Like I said, ze two girls who prove to be ze best for ze part vill get ze part." Madame replied.

We began practicing the dance of the cygnettes, the little swans. Madame came over to me.

"Mika, I see you haf great talent, but your build -" she pinched the skin on my back.

"You have too much milk and fat in your diet. You vant to be a swan, yet you look like a goose before Christmas."

My face fell as I heard Eloise laughing.

"Mika, you vill go far as a dancer if you keep your body fit. Prove it to me." Madame continued.

I returned my concentration to my dancing.

_I can do this... I will be Odette... So I may need to eat a little less... it's only a few pounds, right?_

* * *

So Jerry will come back in chapter 3.

To the " My Rescuer" readers - I promise I will post the next chapter soon! Have patience!

You can kinda see where this is going... I'll have to expand this story beyond a threeshot...


	3. Chapter 3

Mika POV

I went for my first lesson next week. Jerry was with me.

_This will be better than last time… _

Madame had him and the other boys practice away from the girls. I stretched my leg on the barre. Eloise

was behind me.

"Jerry's quite the hot guy. Don't know what he sees in you, grosse fille." I scowled, but didn't say anything. I

glanced at myself in the mirror. I was looking a little slimmer than last week.

_See, all it took was skipping dessert and a few hours at the gym… _

Madame clapped her hands.

"Boys! Boys! Come here. Now, ve vill practice de part where Sigfried lifts up Odette. Ve vill have Mika and

Eloise go first." I went over and stood by Jerry. Eloise did the same with the other boy.

"First," Madame continued. "Ve must do a trust exercise. So girls, stand in front, and fall back, letting ze boy

catch you."

I stepped forward and then leaned back. Right as I was about to break my fall, Jerry caught me. I smiled.

Then my feet slipped on the waxed floor, and I stumbled. Jerry caught me again, holding me even tighter. I

glanced over at Eloise. The boy who was supposed to catch her was obviously not very trustworthy. He dropped

Eloise on her backside. I couldn't help but laugh. Jerry laughed too. Eloise glared at me.

Madame barked at the boy, whose name was Andre, and then assigned Eloise another partner.

"Okay, Mika and Jerry. Follow the routine I showed you, arabesque, third position, jump, lift" Madame said, turning on the music.

After the arabesque, I jumped as high as I could and Jerry lifted me up, almost over his head.

_Karate has made him so strong…. _

I posed for a second, then Jerry gently brought me back down.

"Excellent!" Madame said, clapping her hands again.

"Very good. But Mika, you need to be more graceful on ze jump. You did not have enough height. You cannot

flail like a caught fish. Think light and airy." My face fell a little. I was still too heavy to jump high as the other

girls. I saw Eloise and the other girls laughing.

"Don't worry about it, you did great," Jerry whispered in my ear. I smiled, instantly cheered up.

Practice was over, so I went to the locker room to change out of my leotard. I saw all of the girls crowded

around something. It was a scale. I glanced at the poster next to it. It was a chart of everyone's weight,

how much they had lost or gained. The girls seemed pretty anxious.

"Come over here Mika, every week we do a weigh-in" they said.

I stepped on the scale. 125 pounds. Normal. The girls gasped. I looked at the chart. All of them were under

100 pounds. Eloise smirked. "Well, it looks like the goose is fatter than we thought. Madame will roast you

soon!" she cackled.

I finished dressing and ran out of the room, back into the studio. I now saw why they called me fat. It had

nothing to do with how proportionate I was. They were comparing me to them. The numbers told it all. I

looked at the wall.

_They're right, I'm round in the middle, like a falafel. How did I not notice before? _

I turned away and bumped into someone. It was Jerry.

"Ready to go, señorita?" he asked. I nodded. We walked back to the mall and stopped outside Uncle's

restaurant. I saw Jack and Kim inside, laughing and sharing some falafel.

_They are so adorable…. _

Uncle Phil came out.

"Mika! Jerry! Congratulations on the dancing. Come, I make Grandmama's special baba ganoush!"

I sighed. Uncle Phil's food was usually not that good, but my grandmama's secret recipe for baba ganoush was amazing. With sugar, cinnamon, cardamom… but I remembered how rich and fattening it was.

"Not today, Uncle Phil." He looked at me like I was crazy.

"But Mika, it's your favorite!" I shook my head.

"C'mon Mika, it's lunchtime. Besides, I wanna try it," Jerry said pleadingly.

"Alright," I said. We walked in. Jerry was about to sit with Jack and Kim, but I pulled him to the other side of the restaurant.

"Why aren't we -" Jerry began.

"Shh! Look!" We glanced over. Jack and Kim's hands were on the table. Slowly, Jack reached over and tookKim's hand in his. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Ohhhh," Jerry said. We sat down. Uncle brought over the baba ganoush. I took two of the smallest pieces.

"Wow, Mika. This is swasome, yo!" he said, munching on a piece. I laughed and felt my stomach growl.

"You can skip lunch" I said silently to my stomach.

"Mika," Jerry said. I looked up.

"My sister's quinceñera is next week, and I can bring a guest, would you like to come with me?" he asked. "There'll be music, food, dancing."

"Yes, Jerry, I'd love to!" I replied. Jerry took the last piece of baba ganoush.

"See ya later, I gotta get to karate." He waved and walked out with Jack and Kim.

I sat back, my hunger replaced with excitement.

_I can't wait! _

* * *

**_So… Karate Games….. AAHHHH! _**

**_Can't wait for KIOOO _**

**_Oh, and I might drop the accent on Madame. You guys pretty much get ze idea :) _**


	4. The Real Chapter 4

** I'm sorry for freaking out! Thank you so much for reviewing! **

**Here's the next chapter. **

**Hint: The inspiration came from the tango dance in "Another Cinderella Story :)**

* * *

Kim and Julie came over the next day to help me with my hair. Jerry had told me a quincenara is

a Hispanic girl's coming of age, so it was very formal. I had decided on a red flowy dress with

matching heels, modest and perfect for dancing. The girls had put up my hair into elegant curls.

"How are you so good with hair for two non-girly girls?" I asked them.

"Oh, my older sisters would do this stuff all the time," Julie replied.

"Same here. And I can be girly for special occasions," Kim added. They began adding the

finishing touches to my makeup.

"This is really special. I hope you have a lot of fun." Kim said.

"Too bad Jack isn't into dancing, huh Kim?" Julie asked. I saw Kim blush slightly.

"Jack hates dancing, mostly cuz he can't," she replied.

"I don't think that's the only reason. Remember how he killed the music when you were dancing

with Brody in the dojo? And then later with Carson? He doesn't hate dancing, he hates the fact

that he ain't the guy dancing with you," Julie smirked. Kim blushed even more.

"Whatever, you look perfect Mika," Kim spun my chair around. I gasped. They had touched up

my face with natural foundation, adding just a hint of shadow above my eyes and some gloss on

my lips. It was perfect. I looked at the clock. Jerry would be coming any minute.

"So, what are your plans for the evening?" I asked them.

"Milton and I are going to the laser show at the museum. It's so dazzling!" Julie said.

"They're showing an old Bobby Wasabi movie at the theater. I'm going with...with Jack." Kim

said, earning more giggles from me and Julie.

"Are you sure you two are just friends?" I said.

"I'm sure - well, it's complic-" Kim was cut off by the doorbell.

I grabbed my purse and opened the door. Jerry was there, wearing a black suit. He looked so amazing.

"Mika I - wow…." Jerry was speechless. Julie and Kim laughed.

"You look very handsome Jerry," I said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Shall we go?" He offered me his arm. I took it and we walked out the back way of Uncle's

restaurant.

"Wait! MIKA! MIKA COME BACK! I need to have chat with this Jerry boy!" Uncle cried behind

me. By then we were already at Jerry's car. His older brother drove us to their house, where the

quincenara was taking place.

* * *

At Jerry's house

I met Jerry's sister, Rosa. She seemed very lovely and welcoming. I watched her dance with her

father and then with her brothers. I could see where Jerry learned to dance like that.

Just then, the CJ- no, DJ played a tango. I recognized it. It was the Valentine's Day tango from

that movie. Jerry came over.

"Come dance this one with me,"

"Jerry, I don't -" I was nervous.

C'mon, you'll be fine." he said smiling.

We strode onto the dance floor and began. It started slow but then the tempo picked up.

We danced and we danced, doing all sorts of moves. We seemed to think in unison, knowing

exactly what to do. At one point Jerry pulled me in close. I hooked my leg around his and

brought the other one straight up. People oohed and ahed. I felt like there was a spotlight on

the two of us. As the song ended, Jerry spun me into a dip. I looked into his eyes. They were

full of happiness and excitement. I heard applause and cheering from the crowd. We walked

over to a table with his parents.

"You choose a good girl, Jerry." his father said. Jerry looked away embarrassed.

"Mika, eat some food. You look like you haven't eaten all day," his mother urged. I took a small

plate of the entree. Seńora Martinez was right. I hadn't eaten anything that day. I talked

with his parents and ate everything on my plate. His mother beamed at me. I smiled, feeling the

clump of food entering my stomach.

"Will you excuse me, please?" They nodded and I went to the bathroom. It was a fancy one

with multiple sinks and stalls. I felt sick. As I opened the door, I saw one girl, about my age,

throwing up.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine. Just a little sick." She replied.

"Then why was your hand in your mouth?"

* * *

**There's the real chapter 4. **

**So Mika's gonna find out what bulemia is :( **

**I have a really good ideas for upcoming chapters, so please read & review!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I'm fine. Just a little sick." She replied.

"Then why was your hand in your mouth?"

* * *

"She looked ashamed. "I'm… purging"

"What is purging?" I asked.

"You know, throwing up your food so you don't get fat?" The girl turned away with a sad look on her face. After

heaving one more time, she washed her face and went back to the party. I went over to the sink. I was already

feeling sick. I leaned over and tentatively stuck one finger down my throat. The effect was immediate. I threw

up worse than that time I had the flu. It tasted vile. I quickly rinsed my hands and chewed a piece of gum. It

was amazing. I felt… lighter. The weight from the food was gone. I rejoined Jerry and his family, even taking

the smallest piece of cake. I danced twice more with Jerry before he took me home. We stood outside Uncle's

restaurant.

"Thank you, Jerry. I had a very fun time," I thanked him.

"I had fun, too. Mika, you are the best dance partner I've ever had" I blushed and looked at the ground. He

lifted my chin, bringing my gaze back into his warm eyes.

I felt myself leaning in ever so slightly.

"MIKA!" I heard Uncle say sharply. I jumped back from Jerry and looked. Uncle Phil was standing there with

Tootsie.

"It is late." He said. I quickly rushed inside.

"Good night Jerry!" I said, waving back. He waved too, with an almost disappointed look on his face.

The next few weeks passed in a haze. In school, I would take the smallest meal possible. No one noticed that I

was barely eating anything. Right as lunch ended, I would go to an abandoned bathroom and … purge. No one

ever caught me. The stench and the taste faded after a while. My trips to the bathroom never ended up being

"trips to the bathroom." But it was working. I was losing weight. I On weekends I wouldn't eat at all. Those

were the worst. The pain would gnaw at my insides, but I was strong. I wouldn't give in to temptation. I will be

thin and light and I will be what Madame needs me to be for the role of Odette.

And my plan worked a few weeks later when I went to practice.

"Girls! Girls! I haf made my decision. Ze boy playing Sigfried vill be Jerry." Madame said. Everybody applauded

him, especially Eloise and her minions.

"Ze girl playing as Odile vill be Eloise."

Everybody clapped, but not as heartily. Eloise shot me a smug, contented look.

"And ze girl for Odette is…. Mika!" I couldn't believe it. I was going to be the lead with Jerry. A couple of

girls clapped for me. Jerry hugged me, saying, "Knew you could do it." I was so happy. My hard work had paid

off.

Eloise came up to me, scowling.

"Well done, Freaka. But I've got the better costume. Black is sexier than white anyway. She smirked.

I rolled my eyes. Odile appeared in one scene. I had nothing to worry about.

I weighed myself with the girls after practice. 85 pounds. Some of them nodded, the others looking frantically

at their weights.

Jerry and I left, going to Uncle's restaurant with the rest of the Wasabi gang.

Third person POV.

Eloise watched Jerry and Mika leave, a frown forming on her face. She called a number on her phone.

"Grace, is Randy there? Listen, I need the two of you to help me with a little… photo project."

* * *

**_DUN DUN DUUUNNNNN _**

**_What does Eloise have in store for Mika? _**

**_For the sake of the plot, I have Randy hanging out with Grace. _**

**_READ AND REVIEW TO FIND OUT MORE! _**


	6. Chapter 6

Mika POV

I was walking to the cafeteria when I was stopped by Grace.

"Oh Mika, hi!" She said excitedly. I looked at her curiously.

_Grace was never this friendly before… _

"I heard about you ballet part with Jerry. I just wanted to say congrats. And no hard feelings… Jerry and I have

been over… for a long time." She smiled a fake smile.

I had no idea what was going on.

"Mika… you would be so popular… if you knew who to hang out with. Come, sit with me at lunch. " She dragged

me into the cafeteria. I heard roars of laughter. She took me over to a table where Randy was passing around a

picture. Grace glanced at it, picking it up.

"Wow…. Is that you?!"

I looked at the picture. It was a Victoria's Secret ad… and the model's face was replaced with mine.

_What?!_

It looked crude and ugly, like my face didn't deserve to be there. I couldn't stand it. The people kept laughing.

Mocking, cawing. It sounded like shrill school bells in my ears. Tears welled up in my eyes. I turned around,

intent on sprinting out of the caf. Before I even took three steps someone caught me. Jerry. I tried to brush

past him but he held me close.

"Hey, hey, it's okay…" He glanced around. "Look, this isn't you, alright? This is not how your friends see you.

Stay here," Jerry whispered, patting my back.

He snatched the photo from Grace and went up to Randy.

"What the hell is this?" he asked menacingly, shoving it it at Randy. That jerk glanced at the photo as if it was

the first time he'd seen it.

"Oh, wow Jerry. No wonder you've been keeping her around. Now I had no idea this was underneath all that,"

he replied, gesturing to my body. Jerry punched him in the face. Hard. The crowd gasped. Randy recovered,

throwing a punch at Jerry. He dodged it easily. Jerry punched him again, in the stomach. Jack and Kim pulled

him and Randy away. Randy lunged at Kim who instantly blocked. Jack lunged at Randy, stepping in front of

Kim. Milton broke up that fight. Randy returned his attention to Jerry.

"You… are dead, Martinez. Dead! You little coward!" Jerry ignored him and came over to me.

"You okay?" he asked, lifting my chin. I looked into his caring eyes and shook my head.

"C'mon, let's get out of here." he said. We grabbed our bags and left school, passing the shocked faces of

everyone, including the Wasabi Warriors. I knew why. Jerry was a troublemaker, but he didn't start fights like

that. Jack was the bad boy who got into fights, some with bullies, some with dirty-minded jocks who had

insulted a certain blonde.

But Jerry had never defended a girl like that before.

We stood outside, on the steps in front of Seaford High. Jerry pulled me into a hug.

"Mika, baby, I'm sorry. They're animals. What they did was disgusting and cruel, but it's over now, it's okay.

You want me to walk you home?" he whispered comfortingly.

I shook my head.

"I don't want Uncle to find out I'm cutting class, but I can't go back in there," I replied, wiping the tears from

my eyes.

"Hey, let's go to the dance studio. Madame always has the door open. And afterwards we can get something to

eat," he said. I agreed, wincing at the word eat. We walked from the school to the studio. Jerry took my hand

in his. I smiled for the first time that day. A few people waved at us. We entered the studio. A junior instructor

was teaching toddlers pliés. She nodded at us, giving us permission to use the room. We crossed to the other side of the room.

"Wanna dance?" Jerry asked. He put the Swan Lake Music on. We practiced our part over and over, trying to

perfect the many jumps and dips and lifts. It required a lot of trust for both of us. After one flawlessly executed

lift, Jerry brought me down, a little faster than usual.

"Mika, you -" he felt my sides and back, slightly pressing at the visibly bones.

"You're too thin. You- I knew it. You've been starving yourself, haven't you? The meager lunches, those trips to

bathroom, today in the caf. Mika… why?" He looked at me sadly. He had found out. Of course he would. He's

been lifting me, he would know my weight by now.

_How stupid I am…. FAT UGLY STUPID ME!_

I sank to the ground , covering my face with my hands. Jerry sat beside me, hugging me close.

"Please tell me this isn't to impress a guy," Jerry whispered in my ear, almost sounding like he was praying. I

shook my head slightly and caught my breath long enough to speak.

"In Hakmakistan, a woman's place was in the household. If she were out in the streets, people paid no

attention to her. She was below men. But then Uncle offered me a home in America, where I could be free to

be myself. So I come here, and girls scorn me, criticizing my every detail. They force me to look like a cover of

a magazine, cover myself in powders and paint, and weigh nothing just to fit in. There is no freedom." I

whispered. Jerry pulled me in even closer.

"Mika, don't listen to them. Listen to me. You could die from this. Deadly thin isn't healthy." I looked at him,

his warm brown eyes full of grief and concern. I turned my face away from his as I replied.

"But... I do this not for them, but for Madame. I need to be the perfect, light ballerina to play Odette. If not, I

would still be the same, fat, ugly dancer that-"

Jerry reached over, turned my face back to face him, and kissed me. On the lips.

My anxiety and fear melted in an instant as I kissed him back. After what felt like eternity, he broke off ever so gently.

"Mika, you are lovely and beautiful. Never think otherwise and let no one else tell you anything different. I

know what those girls say to you; I know it's hard." He pushed a strand of hair back from my face.

"Please… stop doing this to yourself…..I don't want to see you in ruin... I love you. " I looked at his pleading

face.

I knew in that moment I loved Jerry too. I nodded. He looked relieved.

"Okay, I won't go without eating." I promised.

"Three good meals a day. No skimping, no purging." He said seriously.

_How does he know about the purging… ?_

Jerry read my mind.

"I may not be an expert on anorexia and bulimia, but I know the tricks girls use."

"That's what it's called? Anorexia/bulimia?" I asked. Jerry nodded. Even the names sounded scary and painful.

I stood up slowly. Jerry placed his hands on my waist, rocking me back and forth. He started singing my

favorite song.

"You're my cover, cover, cover girl…."

* * *

"Cover Girl" - Big Time Rush

Wow this was a long chapter...

And the scene in the caf, yeah... I kinda took that from A Walk to Remember. But it's an awesome scene!

READ AND REVIEW!


	7. Chapter 7

…

"Cover girl…" Jerry finished singing. I smiled. We grabbed our stuff and went to Uncle's restaurant. Jack and Kim were in there, again.

This time they saw us and gestured us to sit down.

"Well, that was quite the riot in sch-" Jack was cut off by Kim's glare, and possibly a kick under the table.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine," I said, managing another smile.

We ordered and spent the afternoon chatting about how awful Randy and the jocks were. Suddenly, I felt pain in my stomach.

I haven't had this much food in awhile. I should've paced myself. I stood up quickly.

"I'll be right back. Bathroom," I said, making direct eye contact with Jerry. I didn't want him to think I was letting him down. I walked away from the table.

Kim POV

Something's up with Mika.

"Kim! Go to the bathroom with her, please." Jerry said pleading.

"Is she -" I asked, not even wanting to say it. Jerry nodded. I rushed to the bathroom.

Jerry POV

Mika was not looking good.

**_You idiot, you can't expect her to heal automatically_**

_Calm down, she'll be fine… _

"Something wrong with Mika?" Jack asked, a little concerned.

"She… eating disorder." I said sadly. Jack looked shocked and sympathetic.

"Oh man, I'm sorry for you. That kind of thing just stabs you in the heart and twists the blade."

I looked at him curiously. "Did you know someone with it?" Jack stared at the ground with a deadbeat expression on his face.

Really, Jerry, really? You don't ask something like that!

"Sorry man, if you don't wanna," I started.

"No, it's fine. My… sister went through it a couple years ago. We didn't find out until she had to be hospitalized. It wasn't good."

"Jeez… that's really rough." I replied.

"She wasn't the only one, though"

"Who else?"

" Well, last year…."

* * *

Kim POV

I rushed into the bathroom. Mika was standing over the sink, breathing shakily and looking pale.

"Mika, are you alright?" I asked, pulling her away from the sink. She was still shaking

"Okay, deep breaths. In and out in and out" I said soothingly. Soon she was alright to talk.

"I'm okay. Just, a little stomach upset."

"You're gonna be fine. How long did you go?" I asked. Mika looked sad.

"Six months, then Jerry found out."

"Did you stop having periods?" I asked.

"Periods?" Mika looked confused.

"You know, the monthly bleeding… down there" I said as realization dawned on her face.

"Oh, no." I sighed with relief.

"That's a good sign. When you're not getting enough food, your body starts shutting down.

You kept it hidden for six months, wow. I was horrible at hiding it." She looked at me, shocked.

"Y-you had anorexia?"

"Last year, they were making cuts on the cheer squad. I wanted to keep my spot, so I forced myself to become lighter. " I laughed.

"I was so bad at hiding it. Jack found out after about six weeks. Made me swear never to hurt myself like that again. Come on, you okay?" Mika nodded.

"Let's go back."

And so we rejoined the guys.

A few days later, Mika saw her doctor. While she had lost a lot of weight, she was not dangerously anorexic.

He prescribed a diet for her to follow which would return her to healthy weight and keep her in shape for the ballet.

And let me just say, her performance was spectacular.

TWO MONTHS LATER - SWAN LAKE BALLET

Mika POV

I couldn't believe it. I had just performed my greatest ballet yet. I walked slowly onto the stage, clad in my elegant, swan-

white leotard and tutu. Hearing the crowd cheering, seeing the blinding flash of the cameras. I turned and looked at Jerry,

appearing at the other end of the stage. I took his hand and we bowed. The cheering was deafening.

I turned to Jerry and hugged him.

Not stage protocol, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't have done this without him. Without him I never would've been in this production.

Without him I might've gone too far. I heard Jerry laugh and spin me around, lifting me up for a pose before bringing me back down.

The audience stood up and clapped as we did our final bow.

_Oh, it's all so perfect!_

* * *

Author's note.

Our society is strange to say the least.

It forces this impossible goal of unhealthy perfection onto us.

To refuse it makes us seem… strange and unacceptable.

It clouds us from seeing the truth.

That underneath all the criticism and self-doubt, every single person is handsome and beautiful, and NOTHING gives a

person the right to degrade his or her equal.

* * *

**Hey guys!**

**Yeah, I think I rushed the ending, but I can always go back and fix it. **

**Thank you for reading and stay tuned for future fanfics! **


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